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Sunday, 15 June 2014

Talk to Me - Jules Wake

About the book...

Olivia and Daniel certainly aren’t talking the language of love…

Olivia has been in love with Daniel forever but, despite her best efforts, they’ve never been able to get it together. Their relationship has always been a series of mixed messages and misunderstandings and the final straw comes when Daniel mysteriously starts dating her flat-mate, Emily.

Hurt and confused, Olivia resolves to forget her heartache with a spot of speed-dating. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

One crazy stalker later and Olivia’s life is becoming increasingly strange and scary. Can she rely on Daniel to step in when events take a terrifying turn or will their communication breakdown ultimately result in tragedy…?

About the author...

I'm a writer ... because I have to write. I don't always find it easy ... in fact sometimes it's like pulling teeth but at anyone time, I seem to be at the mercy of a bunch of characters in my head, knocking loudly wanting to escape. Wrestling them to the ground and pinning their stories down takes considerable effort but so far I've managed it several times and have five complete novels to my name, along with numerous short stories and a few competition wins. The first of these, will be published by small but perfectly formed independent publisher, Choc Lit in June 2014.

My thoughts...I was given a copy of this book from the publisher Choclitin exchange for an honest review which I'm more than happy to give.What seems like months ago, when it was still cold and wet I saw the cover for this book and thought WOW! It just smacks of sunshine and happiness. I am a cover tart and wanted to read this book based on the cover alone - who wouldn't?It is difficult to believe that this is a debut novel, Jules has certainly packed it all in. We've got romance, heartache, humour and a little bit of darkness. The two leading ladies Olivia and Emily both share a flat and work together. Daniel is the piggy in the middle he has known Olivia since starting Uni and thought he and she would get together but circumstances conspired to keep them apart. Surprisingly for Olivia, Daniel and Emily start dating and there it all begins. Speed dating, jealousy, lies and mysteries.Jules gave us a mixed bag of characters, all plausible and demonstrating characteristics we've all have come across. We've got the one that we instantly like and want to protect, who really needs to stand up for herself - that's not to say she's a total walk-over though. Then the manipulative, self centred one who really seems to believe her own stories. Then we have the good guy, although at times weak guy. This for me was an easy read, although it's not just a typical romance as there are some mild psychological, thriller style elements - something I wasn't expecting based on the very pretty cover. If you are looking for something that isn't just hearts and flowers but has some very different twists then I'd highly recommend this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it, reading it in almost one sitting. Jules has developed characters that evoked real feelings which, in my book is a sign of a good book! I 'virtually' carried on my own dialogue throughout the whole book with them all wishing my own outcomes to every chapter and scenario that was presented. It isn't a book that is all predictable as can so often be the case with this particular genre, Jules kept me on my toes right to the end. Thankfully, like any good romance there are some happy endings. However, at the bottom of the story is a lesson to us all listen and question but most of all communicate - lack of it can cause so many unnecessary problems.I gave this book 5/5 star